Trunk



(No Model.)

P. H. SMITH. 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

TRUNK.

Patented Apr. 6, 1897.

IIVVEIVTOI? WITNESSES.

ATTORNEY,

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

P: E. SMITH. TRUNK.

No. 580,198. v Patent ed'Ap'r. 6, 1897.

, WITNESSES: i/v VE/VTOR y a fl w 1 fa /4%,

ATTOH/IELL m: mils PETERS :0 mmamuo wnsmudrcn. D- a UNITED STATES VII/I PATENT OFFICE.

PAUIJ H. SMITH, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

TRUNK.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 580,198, dated. April 6, 1897.

Application filed May 2,1896. Serial No. 590,019. (No model.) I

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PAUL II. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county'of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trunks; and-I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to provide a trunk which shall contain, first, a tray with means for elevating and holding the same in an elevated position; second, a table which may be turned into and out of the trunk, and, third, a tray hinged to the lid of the trunk,

which shall serve as a receptacle for toilet or other articles and as a drawer.

A further object of my invention is to provide a flexible following or packing board.

My invention consists in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like parts in the different views are designated by like characters of reference, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken chiefly on the line a: as of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the left-hand end of the trunk, part of the side being broken out to show a follower or packer. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view, on a larger scale, of the means for supporting the tray or tray-frame. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the upper end of the rod for elevating the tray-frame-supporting tube and the wrench or handle for manipulating the same. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the tray-frame. Fig. 6 is a side view of the same. Fig. 7 is an edge of the follower or packer. Fig. Sis a sectional view of a modified form of tray and tray-frame-supporting devices, showing the same as adapted to support two frames to receive trays. Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view on theline z .2 of Fig. 1.

1 designates the trunk, and 2 the lid, which is hinged, as usual, to the rear wall of the trunk. Secured to the end wall, preferably the right-hand end wall of the trunk, is a tube 3, which is formed with a longitudinal groove at in its inner side. In the upper part of the tube is cut an angular slot of '1 shape in front view, the horizontal part of which extends about half-way into the metal forming the groove 4, so as to afford a shoulder or stop 4, and the vertical part of which constitutes a notch or seat 4: for the purposes hereinafter explained. Sliding vertically within the tube 3 is a second tube 5, which has at its upper end a head 6, that fits into a socket 7 on the end of the tray-su pporting frame. The tray-frame consists of the vertical end board 30, which'has secured along its lower edge a rather wide horizontally-arranged board 31. Secured to the lower side of the horizontal board 31 are two or more narrow strips 32, which are nearly as long as the trunk. These strips and the horizontal board form the bottom of the tray-frame. This bottom is supported or braced in horizontal position or in a position slightly inclined from its outer end toward the vertical end board, by means of a bracket composed of horizontal and inclined side pieces 33 and 33, which are secured to the corners of the vertical end board 30 and have their outer ends connected by a horizontal piece 3 upon which the bottom of the tray-frame rests and to which it is secured by means of staples or other fastenings. The vertical board 30 of the tray-frame has a vertical groove on its outer side, which is covered at its upper part by means of a plate 35, which is made with a slit to permit the passage of the neck 6 of the head 6 when the latter is inserted into said groove.

In order to provide a more substantial support for the tray-frame, the head .6 has at its lower end an inward horizontal extension 6 and the extremity of this is provided with lateral arms extending outward to the under sides of the brace-arms 33.

IVithin the tube 5 is a rod 10, which has a shoulder 10 near its lower end, and below this is placed loosely a ring 11, having a projection 11, of a size and shape to fit and move vertically in the groove 4. This ring is held by means of a coiled spring 11 fastened at one end to it and at the other to the lower end of the rod 10.

The coiled spring 11 is so connected to the rod and loose ring 11 that'in its normal or relaxed condition the projection 11 is in the groove at. By turning the handle 12 to the right the spring is given tension, so that when the rod 10 and tube 5 are raised until the pro ject-ion 11 is opposite the angular slot in the tube the projection is thrown to proper position over the notch or seat 4 into which it may then be lowered, thus forming a rest for the tube 5 and rod 10 in their elevated position. When the rod 10, tube 5, and its attached tray-frame have been thus raised, the latter may be swung horizontally into any position desired.

To lower the tray-frame into the trunk, the handle 12 is turned to the left, thus reversing the tension of the sp'rin g on the projection 11, and upon lifting the projection 1.1 out of its seat it will be thrown against shoulder or stop 4: and therefore into proper position to be lowered in the groove 4:. The tray may then be turned into position over the trunk and lowered into the same. The upper end of this rod 10 is squared to receive movably the squared hole of a handle 12, and below this on the rod is a loose ring 13, held up against the handle by a strong coil-spring 14, secured below said ring in any suitable manner. The handle 12 is used for lifting the tray-frame as well as manipulating the rod 10, and when the tray has been elevated the positionof the handle may be changed on the squared end of the rod by pressing the same down against the tension of the spring below the squared part, thus' permitting it to be turned and allowed to rise in another position on the squared end. I propose to form the squared end so that the position of the handle may be changed to serve as a stop to prevent the tray when ele.

vated from being swung backward so far as to strike the raised lid of the trunk. For eX- ample, if the handle of the wrench stands at right angles to the end of the trunk the end of the tray or tray-frame will, when swung outward, strike against the handle, which remains stationary except so far as the spring 11 will allow it to yield; but the position which the squared end normally takes with respect to the end of the trunk may obviously be varied by varying the position in which the ring 11 isfastened to the lower end of the rod, so that the are of the swing of the tray may be thus varied.

The tray may be separate from or constructed around and permanently with the trayframe, and one part will be made deeper than the other to serve as a hat-box. When the tray is made separate from the frame, the partition forming the hat-box may be provided with a hand-hole, by which it may be conveniently lifted out of the trunk.

Instead of securing the tray-supporting frame upon the side of the tube it may be secured upon the upper end of the tube, so that when the tray-frame is turned in the end board 30'of said tray-frame will stand in a plane nearly coincident with that of the end of the trunk, and-in this case the rod 10 or both the rod and tube will project upward through a hole in the bottoms of the trayframe and tray.

' position by suitable straps.

In Fig. 8 I have shown how two trays may be supported to be elevated and swing horizontally. The construction, as shown in this figure, is substantially the same as shown in Fig. 3, except that the groove 4 and "l-notch will preferably be formed in the front side of the tube 3 instead of at the inner, and at the upper end of the inner side of the tube 3 there will be a slit to permit the vertical movement of the second or lower tray. In order that the lower tray may be swung independently of the upper, the tube 5 will be divided horizontally, as shown, into two sections, the upper resting on the lower. The two trays,- however, will be elevated sim ultaneously, and when elevated to the position of engagement of the projection 11 with the '1-noteh the neck (corresponding to the neck 6 of upper 85 tray) connecting the lower tray to the lower section of the tube 5 will be above the end of the tube 3, and hence permit the free swinging of the lower tray in a horizontal plane.

In the left-hand end of the trunk I provide a table 15, which has a rod 16, that fits and is movable vertically in a tube 17, secured to the wall of the trunk. This table may be lifted upward and turned out to afford a convenient receptacle, as shown in Fig. 1, for articles removed from the trunk. When the table is thus lifted upward and turned out ward, it may be lowered to rest upon the edge of the trunk, which will afford an efficientsupport for the same.

The lid of the trunk is provided at its ends with brace-rods 20 for holding the same at an obtuse angle to the rear side of the trunk. The left-hand part of the lid has hinged toils upperedge a tray 21, which, when the lid is opened, may be supported in horizontal position by means of legs 22, pivoted to the opposite sides of the tray and resting in the lower corner of the raised lid. When the tray 21 is folded into the lid, the legs 22 are turned up against the sides of the tray. The tray 21 may have hinged to its right-hand side 1 a cover 23, which may be supported in open The inner side of the cover may be fur- 7115 nished with a mirror, and the tray mayserve" i as a receptacle for toilet articles. T

WVhile my trunk will be useful to all trevelers, it will be especially so to that large and growing class called commercial travelers" j or drummers, whose business. is to carry and display samples of merchandise.

The follower or packer which I propose M use in connection with my trunk comprises two end bars, each of which consists, esselltially, of parts 25 and 26, hinged together, as shown at 27, and a flexible band 30, 8XU6lfl-. ing between them. The part 25 has a staple 28, that passes and protrudes through a hull! in the part 26, which latter has a hook 29 10' pass through the protruding end of the ple to lock the two parts in straightened sition. The part 26 may be-made extensible by constructing it of two parts a and I) am! joining them by a tube 0, having set-screws (Z to fasten rigidly the parts a and I) placed therein. The flexible cloth or leather band which is made about the length of the trunk has pockets at its edges, in which the bars are placed. The opposite ends of the bars are furnished with sharp pins. In the application of the follower or packer the bars are first ad justed, so that when straightened or extended the pins shall penetrate the opposite Walls of the trunk. The bars are bent at their hinges, so they may be placed down in the trunk, and upon being straightened the pins penetrate the opposite walls, in which position they may be locked by turning the hook into the protrudin g ends of the staple. A flexible follower or packer thus constructed will secure the contents of the trunk against displacement or damage while subjected to baggage-smashing or in transit.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a trunk, a grooved tube 3 having a slot in the upper part thereof, a tray-framesupporting tube sliding within said tube, a rod 10 in said tray-frame-supportin g tube having attached to its lower end a projection 11, adapted to be moved vertically in the groove of the tube 3 and to be turned horizontallyin the slot in the upper end thereof, the said rod 10 also having its upper end squared, and a handled wrench elastically held on said squared end so as to stand at different angles to the trunk, substantially as described.

2. In a trunk, a grooved tube 3 a slot in the upper part thereof, a tray-framesupporting tube sliding within said tube, a rod 10 in said tray-frame-supporting tube having at its lower end a loose ring with a projection sliding in the groove of the tube 3, a spring secured to said ring and rod whereby tension may be given to said spring to throw the projection laterally in the slot in the upper part of the tube 3 and into and out of line with the groove in said tube, said rod 10 having a squared upper end and a handled wrench 12 held elastically thereon and adapted to engage the said upper end so as to stand at different angles with respect to the trunk, substantially as described.

3. In a trunk, a grooved tube, a slot in the upper part thereof, a tray-frame-supporting tube sliding within said tube, a rod in said tray-frame-supporting tube having at its lower end a loose ring with a projection sliding in the groove of the first-mentioned tube, a spring secured to said ring and rod whereby tension may be given to said spring to throw the projection on the ring laterally in the slot in the upper part of the first-mentioned tube and into and out of line with the groove in said tube for the purpose explained.

4. A follower or packer for trunks and the like comprising narrow bars composed of parts hinged together, combined with a flexible fabric 30 extending between and connecting said bars, substantially as shown and described.

5. A bar for a packer or follower, consistin g of two parts hinged together, with means for locking the same together, one of said parts being adjustable to lengthen or shorten the same, substantially as described.

6. A tray-fram e comprising the vertical end board 30, the horizontal board 31 secured to the lower edge thereof, bars or strips 32 secured to the horizontal board, the board 31 and strips 32 constituting the bottom of the tray-frame and a bracket for supporting said bottom, comprising the horizontal and inclined side arms 33 and 33 secured to the corners of the vertical board 30 and the horizontal cross-piece 34 connecting the extremities of the side arms of said bracket.

7. In a trunk, a slotted and grooved outer tube, an inner tube composed of independently-rotatable sections, trays connected to said sections, means for elevating said inner tube and means for holding the same in elevated position so that said trays maybe swung horizontally, substantially as described.

8. A trunk having at one end a grooved tube 3 with a horizontal slot in the upper end thereof, a tray-frame-supportin g tube sliding within said tube, a rod 10 in said tray-framesupporting tube having attached to its lower end a projection adapted to be moved vertically in the groove of tube 3 and to be turned horizontally inthe slot in the upper end thereof to support the tray-frame in elevated position, and said trunk having at its other end a tube 17 and a table 15 having a rod 16 extending into said tube and permitting the table to be raised and turned outwardly to rest upon the edge of the end of the trunk and lowered to extend under the tray-frame, sub stantially as shown and described.

9. In a trunk, a shell containing a trayframe and a table, both having means whereby the same may be elevated and swung outward from the trunk, a lid 2 havinga tray2l hinged to its front or free edge so as to be turned into the lid or be placed in an elevated horizontal position when the lid is open, legs 22 pivoted to said tray for supporting the same in its elevated position, and acover 23 hinged to the tray so as to be placed in a vertical position when the tray is in its elevated position, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PAUL H. SMITH.

lVitnesses: JAs. S. RIoKETTs, GEO. M. FINCKEL. 

